Assistant District Attorney Jay Jenkins pushed for jail time, emphasizing that the threat of school violence is a serious matter. But Judge Robert Steinberg said putting Ibarra behind bars for a few months won't stop others from following in his footsteps or aid in his rehabilitation.

While on probation, Ibarra is required to submit to random drug and alcohol screenings, continue with counseling and outpatient drug rehab, in addition to staying away from the victim and Parkland High, Steinberg said.

If Ibarra violates probation, the question will be how long he goes to prison and not whether he should, Steinberg said. Ibarra faced a maximum sentence of five years in prison for each charge.

He is currently participating in an outpatient rehab program, regularly attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and works at Taco Bell, Katz said. Ibarra's been sober for 143 days, Katz said.

His mother testified, "I see a totally different person in front of me today."

She didn't realize her son had a drug problem until his arrests after the Parkland incident. "This has hit our family like a ton of bricks. ... I didn't know anything about addiction until it happened to my family."

Ibarra's mother also apologized to the victim's parents, saying, "I'm a mother and I can only imagine what you've been through."

Dr. Frank Dattilio, a psychologist who testified for the defense, said Ibarra struggles with depression, low self-esteem, social anxiety and other problems that were exacerbated by his drug and alcohol abuse.

Dattilio said Ibarra is sincerely sorry for what he did on June 5 and is committed to sobriety. He is unlikely to engage in violent behavior again unless he falls back into drug and alcohol abuse, the doctor said.

"I don't think he's the same person sitting here today that he was when he committed this offense," said Dattilio, who noted that his granddaughter attends Parkland and he understands the importance of school safety.

"I wouldn't be here testifying on his behalf if I felt that he was a danger," he said.

Ibarra in June 5 text messages to his then-girlfriend threatened to kill her male friend, a Parkland student who he perceived as a romantic rival, authorities say.

Ibarra indicated he planned to carry out his threat at the school. Ibarra wrote, "I don’t care about the rules," "He's (expletive) dead," "I’m going to (expletive) murder him in front of everyone" and "I want (the victim) to die," authorities say.

The girl and others urged him to stay away from Parkland, but he ignored their advice. Ibarra entered the school and confronted the victim, who managed to deflect his anger and avoid a fight, authorities say.

The girl told school officials about the threatening text messages and they stopped Ibarra, who was carrying two folding knives, as he prepared to leave Parkland, authorities say.

Ibarra testified today that he brought the weapons because the victim is bigger than him, has martial arts training and could "destroy him" in a fistfight.

The defendant said he wasn't thinking about how his actions would affect others or what the consequences could be when he went to the school.

"What I did that day was selfish," he said.

The victim's father testified, saying, "We fear for the safety of our son and anyone who crosses this disturbed young man. ... My son has not been the same since this incident."

The victim's mother said, "The day that this crime occurred has changed my life and the life of my family forever."

Directing her comments at Ibarra, she said, "I am haunted by the way it was planned and what you wanted to do."

The victim's mother, who cried during her testimony, urged Steinberg not to go easy on Ibarra and "send a strong message" that violence and the threat of violence has no place in the Lehigh Valley's schools.

"He needs counseling, but he needs to be punished for what he did," she said.

Moniz testified that Parkland is a place where students should feel safe and as a graduate of the high school, Ibarra knows that students are taught to avoid violent conflict.

Ibarra, Moniz said, violated his alma mater's trust and showed a blatant disregard for the law.

The principal said Ibarra's actions left students and their parents fearful. It also prompted Parkland officials to review and adjust Parkland's security measures, he said.